Surcharge to fund Hampton wastewater treament plan repairs

HAMPTON — Hampton selectmen unanimously approved a new surcharge Monday night that officials hope will help offset costs to repair the wastewater treatment plant and overcome its shrinking capacity.

Kyle Stucker

HAMPTON — Hampton selectmen unanimously approved a new surcharge Monday night that officials hope will help offset costs to repair the wastewater treatment plant and overcome its shrinking capacity.

The new wastewater system development charge will be effective starting Tuesday and will act as a one-time sewer impact fee to any new buildings looking to connect to Hampton’s sewer system. The fee won’t be charged to any existing structures, approved projects or any individuals already hooked into the sewer system, although developers seeking to add a structure to an already-connected lot would be charged based if the new structure increases the historical average sewer usage for the property.

“I am very confident this will be a good way to fund (capital improvements to the wastewater treatment plant),” said Noyes.

Town officials have discussed the charge in recent weeks, citing a need to make sure that the individuals maxing out the wastewater treatment plant are the ones who will foot the bill for work to increase the plant’s 4.7 million gallon capacity.

The fee is one of two options for funding these improvements and the eventual cost to rebuild the plant, which Town Manager Fred Welch has said will need to be done “sooner or later.” The alternative to the fee is a bond, although officials shot down that option because it would increase the burden on taxpayers who are already paying for sewer service.

The fee will be charged based on the value of the wastewater system, which currently is $25 million, divided by its total daily capacity. That equates to $5.32 per gallon of usage, and this number would be multiplied against a new structure’s daily flow volume.

Selectmen had positive feedback Monday night about the charge, which is similar to Hampton’s school impact fees and the sewer impact fees charged in Dover and Exeter.

“It’s about time we have something like this,” said Selectman Rusty Bridle.

Individual homeowners on the western side of town won’t be assessed the fee if a town meeting vote approves a project to connect that area to the sewer system. Welch has said the charge and all other connection-related costs would be included in the amount that would be bonded for such a project.

The official vote to establish the charge was 4-0, as Selectman Rick Griffin wasn’t present Monday night because he is on vacation.

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